November 8, 2024, 3:31 pm | Read time: 10 minutes

Russell Brand, Demi Lovato, Mark Zuckerberg, Gisele Bündchen … celebrities around the world have integrated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) into their lives to promote physical fitness, discipline, and mental strength. What exactly is the fascination of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? What does the training do to people? A call with third black belt holder and owner of a BJJ training facility, Rodrigo Fernandes (39), in Berlin, provided some exciting answers.

Personal details: Rodrigo Lima Fernandes comes from Belém (Pará) – the city where traditional jiu-jitsu developed into Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ). He started judo in 1992, at the age of six. He switched to BJJ in 2001. Fernandes trained at Nova União in Fortaleza (north-east Brazil). He now holds a third Dan black belt and trains under Ricardo (Rico) Vieira, co-founder of the well-known international Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu association and team Checkmat. Rodrigo Fernandes (39) lives in Berlin and is the head coach and owner of the BJJ training facility Dojo Berlin.

Black belt holder: “This is how my passion for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was kindled”

FITBOOK: How did you get into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)?
Rodrigo Lima Fernandes: “I’ve been on the mat since I was five years old. I started with judo and trained with my older brother in a small dojo (training room for various Japanese martial arts; editor’s note) called ‘Pará Club’. I later switched to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.’ The brother of one of my friends had a garage where we trained. That’s how I developed a passion for martial arts. Because you hit the mat a lot in judo, I had a lot of back pain. After moving to Fortaleza, I enrolled in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school. In BJJ, you’re more on the ground and you stay there. That was good for my back! Today, jiu-jitsu is my life. I could talk about it all day!”

How did your passion for BJJ continue?
“When I came to Berlin in 2009 for my master’s degree in engineering, I was looking for a place to train. There was only one BJJ school in the city at the time, it was called ‘Budokan’. I let myself be persuaded to train others, but I thought it was so great that I finished my studies early to become a BJJ trainer. My parents didn’t think that was so cool, but I’m still very happy with that decision today.”

Have you taken part in competitions?
“Yes, I have taken part in many competitions in Brazil. I also won titles in some lower belt categories back then. Since I’ve been teaching in Germany, I’ve usually also taken part in the European Championships. It’s like a curse: I always get knocked out in the quarter-finals against the eventual winner … I’ll be back in two years’ time.”

Jiu-Jitsu has its origins in Japan. How did the Brazilian form, BJJ, develop from there?
“The Japanese jiu-jitsu master Mitsuyo Maeda – his nickname is Conde Coma – brought the martial art to my home country when he immigrated to Brazil at the beginning of the 19th century. He and others traveled around the country and challenged Brazilian street fighters and boxers to fight. According to the motto: ‘Come then and then to the port, I’ll beat anyone.’ Back then, nobody in Brazil knew what these people were capable of. But they were very successful! BJJ came about after Mitsuyo Maeda taught Brazilian martial artists Helio and Carlos Gracie how to do Jiu-Jitsu. The two brothers later went to Rio de Janeiro and began teaching their version of jiu-jitsu. It used to be called Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, today it is called Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”

“BJJ has molded the classic jiu-jitsu variant into a strategy that has been very successful”

What made these jiu-jitsu masters so successful against experienced street fighters and boxers?
“These fighters used a specific strategy: They always closed the distance to their strong opponents, who tended to be street fighters, boxers, or wrestlers, so that they couldn’t be punched or kicked. Then, they would take their opponent to the ground to neutralize his strength. This strategic approach to defeating an opponent did not exist in classical jiu-jitsu. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu poured the classic variant into a strategy that was very successful and then found followers throughout Brazil. Jiu-Jitsu is still very relevant in Brazil today.”

What fascinates you about this martial art in particular?
“Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is immune to different fighting styles. There is no one philosophy; everything is open. I learned to survive without punching and kicking, and I learned to survive against everyone. For me, the appeal of BJJ is that you are constantly thinking about solutions – instead of being problem-oriented.”

How are the lessons structured?
“We train movement sequences from various martial arts styles such as capoeira, aikido, judo, wrestling and krav maga. The various techniques then result in many concepts on how to win a jiu-jitsu fight. This is extremely challenging intellectually and takes many years to understand.”

“Without these prohibitions, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu would be very dangerous”

What are the most important rules in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
“You’re not allowed to punch or kick in the sport; those are the main rules. You’re also not allowed to pull hair or lever small joints, such as fingers. Without these prohibitions, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu would be very chaotic and dangerous.”

Are there people you have to send away for safety reasons?
“During training, you entrust your body to someone else and can injure them. And you get very close to each other. That’s why I have to be careful who I let train. I look for a positive aura and whether there is a basic trust. The worst people are those who have little self-control. If they can’t cope after a certain time despite all the warnings, I have to tell them: ‘It’s not right. It’s almost like being in a club. It’s my job as a coach to create this atmosphere.”

What are the goals?
“The aim is to make the opponent give up by throwing him to the ground and putting yourself in a better position to apply leverage or a choke. If the opponent knocks on the floor or screams or says they can’t go on, the fight is won. There are also time components and points that are awarded depending on the positions you achieve.”

You always hear from people who do BJJ: ‘The longer I train it, the more complicated it gets!
“Yes, it’s extremely complex. On the one hand, you have to understand the body mechanics of the different joints. Secondly, there are different strategies, techniques and systems. Then there’s the timing. When do I use what? I personally find BJJ very intellectually challenging.”

“The beginning feels like you’re a punching bag”

How does it feel to start?
“A lot of people give up because they don’t understand it. Starting out feels like you’re a punching bag. The others ‘use’ you, you can’t do anything.”

“Learn how small children move on the ground”

What do you have to learn first?
“You have to learn how to move on the ground first. Learn how small children move on the ground: in three dimensions. We adults have completely forgotten these movement sequences and it’s very complicated to break them down and reprogram them. Out of ten beginners, three are gone after just one month. After two years, three or four are still there, usually with the aim of achieving a blue belt. Those who continue after that stay forever.”

“You become extremely flexible, agile and strong”

What does BJJ do to your physical fitness?
“You become extremely flexible, agile and strong. Many of my trainees come from triathlon, marathon, weightlifting, or Crossfit. Really fit people who can’t last five minutes at first. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu works the whole body: muscles, heart, head, circulation, breathing. I personally got better at yoga, for example, thanks to jiu-jitsu.”

How does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu affect the mental state or even the personality of the practitioner?
“In jiu-jitsu, you learn to solve a problem by applying strategies. What leverage do I have to win the fight? The psychological component of this can help in a conflict with the boss, for example. I put forward my arguments verbally and try to convince my boss why he should cooperate with me. If this argument doesn’t help me, then maybe another one will? When people come to me who are perhaps very successful in their job but have a big ego, the likelihood that they won’t come back after a trial lesson is very high. You learn that you can’t do anything at first and that there are lots of people who are better than you.”

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“You become more tolerant and learn to take on other perspectives”

What do you think is the reward for sticking with it?
“There is always someone on the outside fighting against you and against whom you are fighting. Through direct confrontation and testing strategies, you become more tolerant and learn to take on other perspectives. I would say you learn to think the middle way: there is always someone who is better and someone who is worse. You are always somewhere in between. You also learn to keep calm. Because there are times when you’re pinned to the ground and can’t breathe.”

What still sparks this passion for BJJ in you today?
“The mental and physical aspect of the question: How can I defeat my friends in a fight? What tools, what strategy do I need to win? It’s like science: you’re constantly experimenting. Some things work; some things don’t.”

Is that the addictive effect of jiu-jitsu?
“Exactly. You’re always looking for the solution, for your miracle cure that you can use in your life, not just on the mat, but also in your relationships. Like a good lawyer, you’re always looking for more reasons to win an argument. It’s actually addictive.”

How do you end a fight in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
“You make a noise to signal that you’ve given up or can no longer continue. If you can’t say anything, you tap your hand or foot on the floor. Jiu-jitsu also helps us to understand when it’s time to stop, to change direction if something doesn’t work, and to take responsibility for the effect of our actions.”